Beneath A Wild African Sky

Mark Hedges is moved by the unbridled beauty and bountiful wildlife of Zimbabwe and Zambia—and is out-fished by his son.

- Mark Hedges

The tiny Cessna swung left over the great, glistening Zambezi River and landed on the terra cotta-orange mud runway, depositing us on the Zimbabwe side of the great river. The heady scent of the African bush greeted me like an old friend and, before we could even leave the airstrip, our first task was to chase a curious family of warthogs off the runway so that the little plane could head back to the capital, harare. By the time we reached the camp, we’d already seen lions, hippos, elephants and impala—oh my!

Just a stone’s throw from the river, the Ruckomechi Camp faces the mountains of Zambia on the far bank. The vegetation, scratchy at best in July, had been burnt yellow in the baking sun, but it’s the mighty river that makes the Mana Pools National Park one of the world’s greatest game magnets: during the stillness of the afternoon, elephants would regularly troll through camp. Zimbabwe is a country often in the news for its problems, but it’s also a place that must be celebrated for both its wildlife and its people.

As we slumbered in luxury tents, powered by solar panels beneath a million stars, hippos grunted throughout the night and, towards dawn, the whoops of hyenas greeted the roar of lions. I was too excited to sleep.

There’s a rhythm to days spent on safari: rise at 6am for coffee and muffins, go on a game drive before returning for a splendid brunch, take a nap, then tea before a second drive, sundowners and, finally, dinner. The food on offer throughout our trip with Wilderness was remarkable—even more so, when you consider that each camp was a day’s drive from any supplies.